Label printing device



Nov. 30, 1954 Filed July 21, 1952 D. R. DRAPER LABEL PRINTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

DONALD R. DRAPER ATT RNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. R. DRAPER LABEL PRINTING DEVICE &\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ INVENTOR.

DONALD R.-DRAPER BY W ATTO NEYS FIG.4.

Nov. 30, 1954 Filed July 21, 1952 United States Patent Ofifice 4' 2,695,557 Patented Nov. 3-0, 1954 2,695,557 LABEL PRINTING DEVICE Donald R. Draper, Detroit, Mich. Application July 21, 1952, Serial No. 300,037

1 Claim. (Cl. 101-92) This invention relates to label printing and cut-off devices for producing individual labels from a continuous strip of tape.

One object of this invention is to provide a machine which may be manually or power operated for turning out labels from a continuous strip of tape, without any special attention being required on the part of the operator. Thus, unskilled operators may be employed while at the same time maintaining a high quality and uniformity of label production.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of the above type wherein such labels may be separated or cut from a strip of tape automatically and in synchronism with the stamping of the same.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for maintaining a large number and variety of different stamping blocks in standby condition whereby the latter maybe quickly and easily transferred to operative position in the machine or exchanged for others, in order that the machine may be set up without delay for the production of a different type label.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for retaining the stamping blocks in stand-byposition without obstructing observation of the indicia thereon so that the desired block may be selected without delay.

Another object of this invention is to provide a label stamping and cut-off machine which is inexpensive and substantially fool-proof in operation.

The foregoing, as wellas other objects, will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: it t Figure l is a front elevation of a machine embodying the features of the present invention; h

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the machine taken along the line 33 on Figure l;

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, but taken along the line 44 on Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the machine as seen from the right-hand side of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the machine;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the feeding mechanism employed in the machine; and,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a stamping block which may be employed in the operation of the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine there illustrated embodies a preferred form of my invention and includes side frames 1 and 2, and an intermediate frame or panel member 3, which are secured together by suitable bolts 4, to form a rigid upright structure. An angle iron 4' interconnects frame member 3 and the base of the structure by means of the bolts or rivets shown. Member 5, across the front of the machine, further rigidifies the structure and will be described in more detail below.

The tape feeding mechanism will be seen to comprise a shaft 6 rotatably mounted between frame members 1 and 3, having a wheel sector 7 non-rotatably mounted thereon. Screw 8 affords an adjustable non-rotatable connection between wheel sector 7 and shaft 6 when advanced tightly into engagement with the latter. (See Figure 4.)

A strip of resilient material 9, secured to wheel sector 7 and projecting beyond the periphery thereof, 1s pro- 80 vided to engage and advance a strip of tape 10 as the wheel sector is rotated by means of crank arm 11 projecting from shaft 6. The feeding strip 9 may have printing matter on the outer surface thereof to mark tape 10 as it is thus advanced. Such tape may be drawn from a roll of the same supported on shaft 12, for example, journalled between frame members 1 and 3, at the rear of the machine. A roller 13, mounted between frame members 1 and 3 on a shaft. parallel to that of wheel sector 7 and with its outer surface spaced slightly from that of feeding strip 9, cooperates with the latter in advancing the tape 10 by underlying the latter at the point of contact thereof with such feeding strip. Roller 13 may be of a resilient material or provided with a resilient covering projecting into actual engagement with feeding strip 9, thereby to afford more positive advancement of the tape.

Member 5, across the front of the machine, is held in place by means of studs 14 on one end thereof projecting through complementary holes in frame member 2, and studs 15, on the opposite end thereof having reduced portions fitting into notches of frame member 1. Member 5 is formed with an elongated horizontal U-shaped notch 16 for travel therethrough of the tape 10 during advancement thereof by the feeding mechanism above described. Rotatably mounted on the front face of member 5 by means of stub shaft 17 is a cutoff member 18 having a knife 19 integral therewith and swingable across the opening provided by notch 16. Member 20, secured to the upper face of notch 16, provides a knife edge which cooperates with knife 19 to sever sections of tape extending through the notch. Tension spring 21, extending between frame member 1 and pin 22 of the cut-off member, serves normally to hold the latter retracted with knife 19 below notch 16. As will be seen in Figures 1, 5 and 6, crank arm 11 is formed with an intermediate portion extending along the side of the machine adapted to engage the end portion 19 of knife 19 to turn the latter in an upward direction about the shaft or pivot 17 across notch 16 and, in cooperation with member 20, to shear sections from the end of tape 10 when such crank arm is turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 5. Upon further, clockwise rotation of the crank arm, the same will cam past end portion 19 of the knife permitting the latter to return to its normal position belownotch 16 under the influence of tension spring 21. Actuation of knife 19 will thus be seen to occur once in each revolution of the crank arm.

Wheel sector 7 will be seen to have a plurality of axially extending ribs 23 thereon, equally spaced apart to form grooves 24 therebetween. While, as will be seen in Figure 4, such ribs do not project sufficiently to engage tape 10 as it is advanced by feeding strip 9, the stamping blocks, generally indicated at 25 and adapted to fit snugly in grooves 24, are so dimensioned as to project when thus inserted in their respective grooves to a point substantially flush with the outer periphery of feeding strip 9, and thus to make contact with tape 10 and mark the latter with printing matter. Roller 13 will desirably also underlie the tape 10 at the point of engagement of the stamping blocks therewith in order to provide a firm backing for the strip during the stamping operation. As seen in Figure 8 stamping blocks 25 may comprise a stamping block proper 26 inserted in a channel-shaped member 27 of ferrous material having spring clips 28 for retaining the blocks therein. Magnets 29 disposed in grooves 24 on the periphery of the wheel sector serve to retain the stamping blocks securely therein.

An inking roll 30, rotatably mounted between frame members 1 and 3, is positioned in a manner such that the outer inked surface thereof is contacted by the stamping blocks and feeding strip 9 upon each revolution of wheel sector 7. Such inking roll is journalled in inclined slots 31 in frame members 1 and 3 to permit a degree of movement of the roll when thus contacted during operation of the machine. Slots 31 are open at their upper ends to permit insertion of inking roll 30.

Rotatably mounted between frame members 2 and 3 is a shaft 32 having a wheel 33 non-rotatably mounted thereon. Wheel 33 is of a large diameter as compared with wheel sector 7 and like the latter has formed on its outer periphery a plurality of axially extending ribs 34 equally spaced apart to form grooves 35, the latter having substantially the sarnedirnensions as grooves 24 of the wheel sector. As seen in Figures 4 and 6, the shaft of Wheel 33 is parallel to that of wheel sector 7 and disposed so that the peripheries .of the Wheeland wheel sector lie substantially flush atone ,point. Thus, wheel33 may be employed to store ,a'largenu'mber and variety of different stamping blocks in sta'ndbycondition which may be readily transferred .to wheel sector 7 -to perform a .printing operation. Stamping blocks '25 .are retained in thegrooves of wheel 33 ,by means ofa flexible plastic band 36 encircling wheel 33, such band perferably being of transparent material so as notto obstruct the indicia on v.the blocks -.to facilitate selection of the desiredone without delay. v

In the operation of the machine described above, the same will first'lbe set uplby drawing thestrip oftape 10 throughnotehi1'6 and placing selected stamping blocks in the grooves .of the wheel sector. Suchblocks may be easily transferredfrom standbyzposition on Wheel 33 by.merely aligning the groove 35 containing the selected stamping'block withagroove-of wheel sector Tand then sliding such stamping block from one groove to the other, magnets 29 of wheel sector .7 serving to grip the blockseven before they are fully withdrawn :from the grooves of wheel 33. fThetra'nsparencyof band 36 permits .quick selection of. the desired stamping Lblock while it .is hel'don wheel .33. Feeding strip .9 will .be seen tolbe secured in notches formed in ribs 523 so that the inner surface of the feedingstrip lies flush with grooves 24, therebyformingan abutment at the vend .of grooves 24 remote from wheel 33 whereby to properly position the. stamping blocks thereon. Thereafter, continuous .operation of themachine is obtained merely by turning crankarm '11 whichserves intermittently to advance the strip of tape .asfeeding strip :9 engages such tape and simultaneouslyto stamp advancings'ections of the tape with .theldesired markings. Crank arm 11 and wheel sector T7 are secured onshaft 6.in angularrelationship such that towards the .end of each intermittent advance of the ita'pe the ifor'wardmost section thereof .is .cut off by..actuation ofknife'19. (SeeFigur'efi) In this adjusted.angularrelationship it willlben'nderstood that following cut on. of .the printed label at the end of the tape theilatter is.-slightly further advanced so that the endthereof projects beyond the.notchopening"16 where'- by it may be adjusted'by hand betweeninterrnittent .advances of the tape; if desired. .Since wheel sector7 is adjustably -mounted on.-sha'ft;6 itlis apparent that the cut-off operation may be made to occur between a'dvances. of the tape, .rather than just prior to the .end of .each advance .as .in the embodiment shown.

"The dr'awrngs and .'foregoirig specification w constitute a description of the improved label printing and cut-cit 4- device in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art' to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

In a label printing machine, two wheels journalled side by side on parallel axes, said wheels each having a plurality of axially extending ribs on their peripheries defining grooves :for z-receiving 'and' holding label printing means, said Wheels being mounted in a manner such that their grooved .peripheries are substantially flush at least at one ,point, whereby such label printing means may be transferred from one said 'wheel to the other,

and means 'for advancing a length of tape past one of said wheels, said tape advancing means comprising a circumferentially extending feeding strip on said last-named wheel projecting radially beyond the ribs thereon, said feeding strip being adjacent the side of said last-named wheelremote from the other said wheel, thereby serving also as an abutment to properly locate such label printing means in the respective grooves of said last-named wheel, magnetic means .on saidlast-named wheel adapted to .hold such label printing means in the respective grooves thereof, and a transparentplastic band encircling the other of .said wheels adapted to hold such label printing means .in the respective grooves.

References Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STAT-ES PATENTS Number Name Date 509,858 Anton Dec. 5, 1893 569,096 Etly 'Oct. 6, 1896 607,131 Ray "July 12, 1898 679,627 Leavy July 30, 1901 811,727 Koehler Feb. 6, 1906 831,744 Rehlinghaus 'Sept..25, 1906 925,458 Collison June22, 1909 1,001,689 Rogers Aug. 29, .1911 1,016,682 Fanslow Febs6, 1912 1,038,219 Smith Sept. 10, 19.12 1,084,435 'Honikder Jan. 13,1914 1,465,388 Dryer Aug. 21, 1923 1,489,057 Bernstein Apr. 1, 1924 1,945,625 Aldinger, .Feb. i6, 1934 1,992,767 Pierson Feb. 26,1935 2,021,064 Heygel Nov. '12, 1935 2,190,736 Schlegelrnilch Feb. 20, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date r 108,468 Sept. "5, 1939 Australia 

